Individuals suffering from many neurological disorders are typically afflicted with impaired motor control. Individuals suffering from neurological disorders often also suffer from proprioception and pressure-sensory deficits, which prevent the reception of stimulation and result in a lack of sensory input from their environment. The lack of sensory input tends to render the afflicted individual unaware of his or her environment. Ultimately, this lack of sensory input results in the lack of muscular and motor control. In many instances, neurological disorders are outwardly manifested by muscular incoordination, body tremors, varying degrees of paralysis, an inability to coordinate voluntary muscular movement, and speech disturbances, among other disabilities.
Traditional treatments for those suffering from neurological disorders include physical and occupational therapy, orthopedic bracing and surgery, and speech training. In addition to physical exercises designed to strengthen muscles and improve motor control, physical therapies also include massage and deep-pressure therapy. Beyond providing beneficial stimulation, massage appears to increase sensory perception and, in some instances, improve muscular and motor control. Massage is believed to improve muscular and motor control through pressure input where sensory feedback is provided to the afflicted individual. However, the benefits of massage are only short lasting and provide only temporary improvements.
In addition to physical therapies, compression and support orthotics have also been used in attempts to improve muscular and motor control in individuals suffering from certain neurological disorders. In general, these support orthotics stabilize a part of the body through structural support. Examples of support orthotics include orthopedic braces and postural equipment having external supports, and compression supports such as braces and wraps typically made from relatively heavy, elastic, stretchable materials. Dynamic orthotics, including dynamic splints, are a type of orthotic that provide support, control, and sensory feedback, and at the same time, allow and guide the wearer's movements. Body splints, which may be applied to various parts of the body including the torso, arms, legs, hands, feet, and head, provide stabilization to the body part primarily through structural support. In fact, dynamic splinting has reportedly been useful in controlling abnormal tone, stabilizing posture, and improving the functional abilities of individuals suffering from neurological disorders (Blair et al., A Study of Dynamic Proximal Stability Splint in the Management of Children with Cerebral Palsy," Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, Vol. 37, pp. 544-554, 1995).
In general, a dynamic splint is a close fitting orthotic made from an elastic, stretchable material that applies a dynamic correctional force to a particular body part of the wearer. Typically, splints are made from materials including thermoplastics, plasters, neoprene, and the like. While each of these materials provides support, splints made from these materials are disadvantageous as they tend to be bulky, retain moisture emitted from the skin of the wearer, and often result in overheating during use. Although improvements in these orthotics have been made to provide a decrease in the amount of moisture retention and heating caused by the wearing of these devices, these orthotics are often uncomfortable to the wearer. Moreover, these orthotics address structural stabilization of a body part at the expense of orthotic flexibility.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for a flexible compression and stabilizing orthotic that provides compression to a body part of a wearer and, at the same time, is breathable, comfortable and does not inhibit movement of the wearer. In addition, there is a need for a method for providing sensory input and improving the muscular and motor control of a person suffering from a neurological disorder that overcomes the disadvantages associated with the traditional orthotic devices noted above. The present invention seeks to fulfill these needs and provides further related advantages.